My Current Faves

I haven't done one of these in aaaages!

here are my current faves :)Raspberry Milkshake shower and bath gel £2 from leading supermarkets.

Coconut and almond bath cream, around £2 from boots.

Angels on bare skin, cleanser, from Lush...most buy more :(

Soap and glory daily smooth body butter

NYX jumbo pencil in white

The freebies from glamour mag, which you've all seen!

Lastly, my favorite mascara at the moment, by urban decay.
I am doing a urban decay post shortly so keep your eyes peeled if your interested!

What are your current favorites? Link me! :)

Eyeko and the charming girl....

Hey Everyone!

I'm starting toady's post with something I won on a twitter competition a few weeks back,
its a stunning gold look elephant necklace, from This charming Girl..
I really do think you should check them out, there amazing!
Everythings handmade & vintage.
www.thischarminggirl.com
Now onto Eyeko!!
I was kindly sent some things to review about 2 months ago.
I might be the last person to write this up & You've seen loads of these posts but hey!
I've been busy! but now im back to blogging :)
So this is what eyeko sent me...

3 nail polishes and a graffiti eyeliner pen..

These nail polishes are from there new range.
The first nail paint which you can see on the far left is 'Coral polish' altho it looks quite red on camera, its more orangery in real life.
the second nail polish which you can see below on the left is 'vampira polish'
not something I would wear on a every day basis but great for Halloween!
this is black with red glitter.
Last but not least my favorite one of the three.. 'Tea rose'
I have never seen a nail paint like this, its such a pretty unique pink!
I just love it!
My verdict on the polishes...
id give them a 4/5.They chipped after a couple of days where as my other polishes i use last about a week with a top coat..
the application was quite good,no streaks, all three needed second coats, however I felt coral and vampira could have done with a third.

Graffiti eyeliner.
Eyeko sent me this in navy, I normally go for a black eyeliner but still, I love this,
I found applying this was alot easier then any other eyeliner I've ever used,
as you can see from the picture above its like a felt tip pen, so your just drawing this onto your eye, you can judge how thick you want it, where as other eyeliners do what they want and i always end up with a thicker line then what I wanted!
I give this a 5/5
I'm going to order this in black though :)
Here's the eyeko website:
http://www.eyeko.com/
and don't forget to enter my ambassador code if your wanting to buy anything!
You will get a free gift :)
*E3803*

Thanks,


.....Lauren x

My First Photo shoot....

Hi lovelies!
I Wanted to share with you all, My day at my first ever photo shoot!
Ive decided to take you all along with me on this journey..what its like trying to make it into the modeling industry. Its not at all easy!

Theres so many girls and guys out there who are trying to get there face out there. You have to stand out from the rest..and not only do you have to have the looks, you have to have the right attitude. Thinking "oh I'm good looking and have a great body, il get far" wont get you far at all in the real world. You have to be 100% serious about what your letting yourself in for, and your personality has to come through on the photos. As I found out its hard trying to achieve the right poses and trying to look relaxed, it takes time and 100% effort to get the right shot. A photographer could shoot a qualified model all day to find that one 'perfect' image for what there looking for, & believe me -Its tiring!
I'm hoping to get my face out there, and into the fashion industry, my absolute dream would to be on a magazine cover, but i know it will take a LOT of determination, I'm willing to give it my all. My first shoot wasn't as easy as i thought it would be, I look on TV at models at photo shoots and think HA that's easy, well its not...I just know in time I will become more relaxed and as time goes on shoot after shoot il get better. :)
Now on to my day at the shoot!
I had a great make up artist, who got my looks just how I was hoping.
and the photographer Dave Spink was awesome. He made me feel really relaxed, and helped me get the poses just right, what i liked about Dave was he was just as determined as me to get a great shot.
The first set of pictures was taken in the woods, for the Alice in wonderland look. Dave very kindly hired out an Alice dress. We took a few shots near the river. I wish I didn't look so miserable in all of them! But I loved the ones he had edited.
When we got back to Dave's studio, I had my make up done and got into all my different outfits. I wanted to go for the rock chick look and here's how a couple came out....

Then I changed into a white dress, not something Id wear out on a normal day, but I love it for my portfolio!

The image below is actually one of my favorites!

Along with this one....

and this pose too :)

I wish I had taken more like this..

A more up close pose, and I actually prefer my fringe to the side, but theres always next time :) The image below is another favorite, I'm thinking of having this for the Calender, which il be talking about in a moment.

And I just LOVE this one, its so creative.

I should add, Dave edited all the photos that I liked.

Over all I enjoyed my first photo shoot!
As I said, next time I should be more relaxed.
Theres a few things id like to change for my next shoot, like I wont wear any fake lashes, My hair will be different, like curly, no fringe, and by the time of my next shoot it should be longer.
Il go for new clothes, and try new poses.
I'll defiantly have my next photo shoot with Dave..
He may be the only photographer I've tried, but i was so happy with what he achieved with me.
I'l hopefully get a few more poses right this time too.
If you live in or around Yorkshire check out Dave's website;
http://www.davespinkphotography.co.uk/
& Facebook Page

and one last thing, The whole reason why I had this photo shoot, is because I came second in the Yorkshire model competition!
I will appear the 2011 Yorkshire calender as "Miss September", which is very exciting, check out the site here:
http://www.yorkshiremodel.co.uk/

If you live in Yorkshire, why not enter?!

Thanks for reading :)

Lauren x

Barry M creating the look

Hello Lovelies,
I thought id share with you one of my make up looks from my photo shoot.
I asked my make up artist to recreate this Barry M look...

.. and I must say, I was very happy! It went so well with my outfit, and looked so pretty on camera...
here's a couple of photos of me with this look :):)

I love Barry M, there my favorite brand, so I just had to involve them in my shoot!
what you think!? :D

Lauren
x

Shop at TW Model! Review...

I don't know if any of you are of aware of my shoot, I think I've mentioned it a couple of times. I'm going to do a separate post all about my photo shoot when the photographer sends me the final edits, I cant wait to show you guys!! if you cant wait skip to the bottom of this post now and have a sneaky peek :)
I'm going off topic.. Shop at Tw contacted me, knowing of my shoot, and asking if I could model for them, and that they would like to send me some free clothes, as long as my photographer agrees to give over some images from the shoot, of me wearing them.
I was over the moon as I love Shop at Tw!there so unique and I'm about to place a massive order. as soon as i get some money that is..
anyway my shoot was Thursday, and they contacted me on the Tuesday, they managed to send me what they had in stock, other wise they would have very kindly sent some more.
I got my package the next day,as I'm aware if you place a order it wont be that quick, 5-14 days depending if they have the items in stock.Its worth the wait I'm sure.Shop at TW is a Taiwan fashion shop, I just love there style, its so unique which I love, there based in London, but ship the clothes over.
The above picture is how my parcel came, the lady did say it was rushed as they wanted it to come the next morning, but its still pretty, all wrapped up in a black bow and Shop At Tw sticker placed in the middle.
You can find Shop at Tw on facebook.
Or there site is here: http://www.shopattw.com/
So this is what they sent me..and this is what I thought...

A pretty floral blue and purple dress..
My favorite :)
Its just so pretty. I just wished Id of remembered my pink flower for my hair!
The eye make up I had with this dress on went too well togethr, as you will see soon..
The brand is Joanne kitten.
and the material is light, but wonderful quality!
These pictures i have taken haven't done it any justice, but you'll see from the shoot how pretty it is.
♥

A vintagey grey dress/top from cat world fashionshop..
I love this, it went very nicely with my accessories, and a pair of black leggings! the floral print is a velvet type fabric, this is quite see through but I wore a grey bra underneath ;)
♥

This white top is also a fave, it came with a bow and beaded necklace,
cream coloured and so pretty on, it is by Queen fashion shop as you can see below.

It has a silk underlay, so not all all see through,
a pretty floral pattern,
and the bottom of the top/dress is also detailed so beautifully.

♥

This cardigan is also available in black, its not a design id normally go for, but i loved it on me!

Below is a picture of me from the shoot wearing it :)

As I said, more to come, Shop at TW will be receiving the photos shortly so they'll be on their site soon, quite proud :.)

Take care loveys!

Lauren
xx

Alva Natural SkinCare Review

Hello!
I have a review for you all today,
I was very kindly sent some products to review from a organic skincare company called Alva, I believe there a German company but they have a UK site, which you can find HERE
A few facts about Alva that I have read in there catalog, that may helpful for you.
Alva use natural ingredients, & they do not test on animals, and never will.
Alva use high grade essential oils from controlled organic cultivation
Alva does not use parabens, paraffin,mineral oils or PEG compounds in any of there products.
Alva does not use alcohol as a preservative in products
Alva's commitment to the environment means they purchase there packaging and services regionally wherever possible.

I was asked to pick out some products that Id like to review, I chose; A Duo eyeshadow, Foundation, and a eye cream. Alva also sent me some other samples which I'm very happy with! I have been using these products for about 3 weeks now, as I wanted to give a full review, as always all my reviews are honest and I will not give false opinions just because I have been sent things for free, id just like to get that out the way! So here goes!

Duo Eyeshadow - Smoke £11.95

Il start with my favorite.I picked this out first, as I've been wanting to try a smokey eye look that actually works, In the past I've always found a black eyeshadow to be too black (if that makes sense)I needed something that shimmered so It wasn't just a black smokey smudge, as it always looks when I attempt it, what we have here is a eye shadow to the left with grey under tones, and a creamy beige to the right.
Now Ive got to give this a honest review....
I LOVE THIS!!!!
its SO pigmented, and the colours are just stunning..see below for some swathes..

They just blend so well together, and even tho the black looks very glittery its not that noticeable on the eye, especially when they are combined together, I can now apply the best smokey eye look, its so easy! a bit of primer these to shadows a blending brush and that's it!
I wore a smokey eye for my boyfriends birthday, when we went into town, I'm just regretting I didn't take pictures, but I'm sure there will be some soon.
Yes it may be abit pricey for some, but it is worth it,and I would re purchase.

Fluid Foundation £18.40
I have been after a foundation for a while, i was tempted to get Revlon's photo ready, and also MAC studio fix fluid. I saw this on Alva's site and thought id give it a go, I wasn't actually expecting it to be that good, as the packaging put me off..I know silly, never judge a book by its cover and all that.
The shade I chose....

Number 2, Medium, so what did I think when I tried this on my hand?

wow this is really thick!!
and I wasn't too keen on the smell, it had the make up smell, if that makes sense to you..you know the foundation smell you sometimes get.
right that's the bad stuff out the way!
When I applied it to my face, and started to rub it in, I instantly saw how amazing this product is..
My face was perfect, no blemishes, just a smooth matt complexion. I didn't actually want to apply bronzer as it looked so good, so natural. and really suited my skin tone.
The smell was soon gone when I applied it to my skin as my moisturizer covered it completely, the thickness wasn't a problem either as it covered quite well.
being so thick just means you don't have to apply alot of this to your face.
Again I do not have any pictures of me wearing this, but in upcoming posts of FOTDs I'm sure you'll all get to see how good it is.
This foundation also contains vitamin E. Well recommend product.
The concealer and bronzer looks great, Id love to try them both next.

Sanddorn Skin Oil £4.50

This product has meant to helped many people. weather it be burns, scars or stretch marks, its a miracle oil in a bottle.
this was something the people at Alva sent along with my chosen products,
intensive care for stressed skin, and its just perfect for your hand bag.
The site clams, its good for after sunbathing, not only does it protect your skin, but it helps your tan last longer, I have yet to give this ago, due to Yorkshire being full of rain and no sun, but if you'd like a fall review on this let me know. as i am certainly going to be using this as aftercare for my tanning sessions :)
This skin oil can also be used as a massaging oil and for babies skin, that's how delicate it is.
Now what I have used it for, is my stretch marks, I have some little ones on my tummy from having my daughter, lucky for me there fading quite fast, but I'm hoping this will speed things up.
This is what it looks like on my arm..

its a golden yellow colour, yes, oil i suppose?
once rubbed in it soon fades, and leaves me moisturized.There's hardly any smell to this too. which is good!
I have tested abit on my fake tanned arms and shoulders, and it really does make your tan stand out more.

Sanddorn Eye Cream £18

I asked for a eye cream as I was also on the look out for one, I have the worst dark circle's under my eyes, children=lack of sleep= tired looking mummy!
When I asked for this I didn't read the information, I saw that it was especially for aging skin, so I thought it was more effective for older women.
The lovely person who has been contacting me assured me it was great for my skin too.
and even men.
I have been using this for about 3 weeks and I'm impressed, I do not look as tired, the dark circles are not as 'dark' any more, weather it be to having more sleep or the cream, I love it as a eye cream, its going to help with the anti aging and with the help of the SPF and cupuacu butter I'm certainly going to be using this for a long time.
here's what the Constancy is like on my arm..

I want to also add this product is unscented.
That's the end of my reviews for now..
I am looking forward to trying some other Alva products, I'm sure you'll all be interested in.
I really like the look of the lip glosses and lip sticks!

Take a look at there site for any other information, and I'm sure Alva will be able to answer any questions you have.
http://www.alvanaturalskincare.co.uk/

Thanks for reading!

Lauren
x

Hello! a OOTD for yew-whooooo

Hello everyone, do you even know who I am? I'm sorry I've been a bad blogger recently.
Ive been visiting my friends and family in London!
I hope your all well, and enjoying the weather..its so nice here in England!

Here's my Out of a sunny day in London..very simple but i liked it...

Grey boyfriend cardi - New Look
White polka dot + bow top - primark
I had to wear a white boob tube underneath because it was ridiculously see through!
Boob tube- Peacocks
Black leggings- Primark
Silver bow ballerina pumps- New look
White watch, and i was wearing a pearl necklace but took it off, im also wearing pearl earrings :)

anywhoo...
I have some posts coming your way as my last post told you!
I have a lush haul! I couldn't resist :)
Plus 2 lovely company's have sent me some make up to review. So i better get my butt in action and review them ;)

Here's a update on my hair, as I know some of you ladies are interested...
Its abit on the red side at the mo! I'm hoping to go back to chocolate, I'm just trying to find the right brand of hair dye..any suggestions would help immensely!

that's it for now, I'm glad to be back to blogging :) love this hobby!

:)

x

New Look, Summery Days, and Hair update!

♥ ♥ ♥

Hello my lovelies, firstly you may notice i have a 'new look' blog!
Its been totally revamped, as I get bored.
I quite like it, its not as cluttered with random pictures, so you can concentrate more on the blog posts.
but what do you think?
I made my header at silly O hour this morning, about 1am, i was tired but i just had to get it done!
It was my first experience with photoshop, and i must say its very confusing, anywhooo..one hour later and i had a header! wheey!! :)

Secondly; sorry i haven't been a good blogger recently :(
its just the weathers been so nice..I've been doing more of this.....Yes, sunbathing! ;)
..and taking lots of lovely days out with my boyfriend and daughter.
we went shibden park which is a beautiful place where i live.
Blue skies ^^.

this was on 22/05/10
the hottest day of the year I think?
we had a picnic, and took a walk up to shiben hall, which is also beautiful!

There was some lovely views walking up through the park..
I got a bit snap happy! :)

Now on to my hair....
I dyed it even blonder two Sundays back.
I was planning on going brown after all your lovely advise.
but i had a sudden urge to get a blonde dye when i was in asda.
I thought, I might as well go abit lighter before going back to dark..
it took me a long time to get to blonde so theres nothing to loose really.
So that's what I did.. I dyed it light blonde.
and it came out ok!! ...

(check out the smudged mascara! :[ )
this is what it looks like in the light,
I'm rocking my awesome bangle Abby bought me :D lavvv it!

here's another picture of the back etc, as you can see in the light its alot more blonde.

Even tho i love the blonde, im still going back to brown.
When i don't know...
for now I'm happy with lighter hair, as its summery! :)

What have you been doing on these lovely summery days?
Id love to know!

thanks for reading...
....Lauren x x